Luminescence
by rosa lunae
Summary: Five years after the conclusion of the manga, the Senshi have gone on with their lives. College, careers, marriage, and real world struggles are interrupted with a new enemy emerges, an enemy connected deeply to Usagi's past life. The ensuing battle will answer questions about the past, endanger the present, and act as a catalyst for the future.
1. Prologue

_Greetings, friends. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it? Almost 10 years since I last added to the Sailor Moon fandom. But the reawakening of the anime and republication of the manga inspired me. _

_When I finished my last Sailor Moon story, _Kooin Ya No Gotoshi, _back in 2005,_ _I was... confession... seventeen years old! Now I'm 27. Years have passed- I graduated college, taught high school for a few years, then quit teaching to go back to graduate school. In grad school now, I study theology and intern as a hospital chaplain. In the past decade, I have learned, laughed, loved, and lost. I experienced the tragic death of a friend.I fell in love for the first time, then I married the guy. I like to think I can write better now that I've lived a little longer. _

_When I felt the gnawing urge to revisit the Sailor Moon universe, I wondered what I could contribute, where to even start! The new anime is paying close attention to the original manga, so I decided to as well. When rereading, I realized that the final battle concludes ambiguously with Usagi waking up from a dream the morning after Mamoru proposed, and then, the manga ends with Usagi and Mamoru's wedding. _

_Which got me thinking that theoretically, their final battle occurred when she was 16 and he was 19. Which made me think that some time probably passed before they actually had that wedding, so perhaps that "waking up" scene was actually a little bit further in the future and perhaps she really was waking up from a dream-remembering that battle._

_So, we know that Usagi becomes Neo-Queen Serenity at age 22, after an undisclosed disaster in the 20th century prompts her to awaken the new Millenium. So, that leaves some time between defeating Galaxia and Chaos at 16, and then becoming queen and giving birth to Chibi-Usa at 22. At some point in there, she and Mamoru marry, as we see. I am intrigued with those years in between. Many other writers, greater writers like Meara, have pursued this successfully. Time will tell if I do any good. ;-) _

_So, let's explore the idea of twenty-something Senshi! University, sex, marriage, relationships, jobs, heartbreak, drinking... great things happen in the early twenties. BUT this will still be a magical story, with transformations and powers and attacks and general Sailor Soldier times. It will just be with older characters. I hope you enjoy the ride. _

Prologue: Where Everyone is Now

Sailor Moon once told Guardian Cosmos that they'd like to "live as we are"... so after the final battle, they pursue their normal, civilian lives as much as possible. The Inner Senshi are 21, pursuing education and careers. Mamoru is 24, studying medicine. Haruka and Michiru are 23. Setsuna, arguably a timeless entity, exists as a 25 year old civilian since she was reincarnated after she stopped Time against the Black Moon Clan. Hotaru is 16, still living with Haruka and Michiru, primarily, and Setsuna when she's around. Chibi-Usa lives in her real time, in Crystal Tokyo, coming into her own as the new Sailor Soldier of the Moon.

Minako is a senior at Tokyo University. She received an athletic scholarship and competes on the school volleyball team in the fall and is known around the university karaoke bar circuit. She is majoring pursuing a Bachelor of Laws, studying international politics as well as criminal law. She chose this thinking of her previous role as the vigilante Sailor V and her future role leading the Inner Senshi and acting as an ambassador for Serenity. She enjoys what she learns, but depends upon Ami's influence to keep her diligent in her studies.

Ami graduated with her Bachelor of Medicine a year early. She is a first year med student in the Department of Surgical Sciences at Tokyo University's Medical School. She sometimes shadows a surgeon resident in the Emergency Department at Tokyo General. She often crosses paths with both Usagi and Minako on campus, and sees Mamoru on occasion at the hospital. She and Minako share a suite in the dormitory. Luna and Artemis stay with Minako and Ami if the wedded bliss of the Chiba residence gets too thick. Minako's cheerfulness and short-attention span balances well with Ami's timidity and focus.

Despite her sharp intellect and ambition, Rei elected never to go to college. She took over the Shrine after her grandfather died, and continues working as the head priestess. In presiding over the shrine and pursuing her spiritual and mystic sides, she finds her true calling. She continues her own independent study in ancient myth, holy writings, and meditative arts. She is a partner with Makoto, helping Makoto run her bakery. She and Makoto study martial arts together. Rei's non-interest in male company, despite Yuichirro's obvious crush, often amuses Makoto, who remains passionate about finding romantic love.

Makoto went to culinary school and then opened her own business, which she called Sugar and Spice Catering. In the early stages, Mako mainly whips up special occasion cakes for friends, does personal cheffing, and sells sweets in the store front. She lives in the apartment above the bakery; Rei assists her, sometimes working shifts at the counter and keeping the books to earn extra money and give Mako time to focus on cooking.

Usagi and Mamoru married after Usagi completed her first year of University, proving to her parents that she had matured enough to pursue a career. Usagi chose to major in psychology, focusing her studies on behavioral health and counseling. Usagi has a pure belief in the goodness of people and a deep desire to understand individuals. While in University, she took a part time job at the Crown as a server. Motoki became manager, so she not only had a relaxed supervisor, but she could keep an eye on the secret control room Luna and Artemis still maintained in the basement.

She and Mamoru live together in an apartment down the street from the Crown, a short subway ride from Tokyo University. Mamoru encourages her and helps her with her studies when he can. Mamoru uses the annuity from his parents' life insurance to support them while they study. He is in his third year of medical school, doing his rotations in various wards of Tokyo General. At the start of our story, Mamoru is doing his pediatric rotation, but leaning towards specializing in neurology, particularly brain injury and memory loss. Mamoru never tried a second time to pursue his education in America- he couldn't bear to leave Usagi's side again.

The Outer Senshi traveled extensively for several years following the last battle, following Haruka's racing career and Michiru's concerts. With the combined performances, the two amassed a surprising and sudden fortune. Setsuna and Hotaru moved with them. Setsuna acted as Hotaru's home school tutor and quietly sold some of her own designs to fashion outlets and bought some oddly successful stocks. After three years on the road, the three young adults had accumulated enough wealth to move back to Tokyo to settle down. The three of them then home-schooled Hotaru together, and pursued their own interests casually now that finances were not a concern.

Hotaru remained a little frail, painfully shy and wise beyond her years. She preferred the company of her three guardians to teens her own age, but at their insistence, she took a part-time job at a local veterinarian's office. Her guardians were pleased at the opportunities it gave her to interact with other people, and her employer found that Hotaru had a sixth sense regarding animals and served as a calming presence to them. The vet also noticed that some of her sickest animals made surprising recoveries when Hotaru was around, but Dr. Hikaru was a spiritual woman and decided not to ask too many questions and just be grateful instead.

The two circles of Senshi remained fairly separate most of the time, but there was a mutual respect and, finally, affection between them. Michiru encourages Minako's side musical pursuits, finds solace at Rei's temple. Haruka continues to flirt with Minako, and bargains for sweets from Mako in exchange for fighting lessons. Setsuna encourages Ami's academic pursuits and in turn, Ami encourages Hotaru's work with the vet. All share a fierce loyalty to and long-standing fondness for Usagi and Mamoru. Though Haruka and Michiru loathe to admit it, they missed being near Usagi, Mamoru, and the other girls. Returning to Tokyo meant returning to them which meant coming home.

As they matured, each of the Senshi began to sense shifts in elements close their heart. Rei's visions in the Great Fire grew sharper. Ami began feel chills or see reflections in ice. Mako could sense unrest in storms. Minako's eye caught changes in light. Mamoru could put his hand to the earth and listen, and as always, Usagi watched the moon and dreamt.

Setsuna watched their maturation with both pride and trepidation. She had been reincarnated after stopping time to prevent Demando from touching the two Silver Crystals- some of her memories of ages past and ages to come were compromised. But she could sense it, just as they could. Michiru watched her mirror and the sea with an anxiety she could not explain, and she often caught her lover with her face to the breeze, trying to sense the shifts in the wind. All three women kept a close eye on their surrogate daughter; Hotaru, though a sweet and shy teenage girl just shy of becoming a woman, was also the harbinger of revolution. Setsuna watched her foster daughter closely, and she watched the calendar as well, for she knew that in the future she once saw, that Usagi became queen at 22 and bore Chibi-Usa on her own birthday at that age. Whether Chibi Usa's birth would precede the coming Kingdom or follow it, Setsuna did not remember. She did not know if the future she saw would come to pass for the future is always changing. So she watched.


	2. Eruption

_Greetings, friends! _

_And so follows my (infamous?) return to Sailor Moon after a 10 year break. The space that follows Galaxia and Chaos and precedes Crystal Tokyo's encounter with the Black Moon Clan has always intrigued me. What would twenty-something Sailor Senshi be like? How would they handle the advent of the Crystal Millenium? What would that even look like? Perhaps just as interesting, what would these girls and Mamoru be like as adults?! _

_Keep in mind, these are adult Senshi, several of whom are in adult relationships. Everyone but Hotaru is over 18, and she's almost there at 16. Mind the rating, kids! Now, enjoy._

_-rosa lunae_

_PS: To any readers of my Narnia story, _Til They're Before Your Eyes, _thank you for holding on so long. I hope starting this new endeavor will help spark me out of the block I've had on that story for the past few years. I've got it planned out to the end, so one day, it will end be finished. :-) Scouts honor._

XXXX

**Luminescence **

Chapter One: Eruption

**Thursday, January 15th, 7:08 am**

Wind played with elusive strands of her choppy blond hair. She turned her face into the breeze, closed her eyes, and listened. She let herself get lost in the whispers until the sounds of suburb faded away. The drip, drip of morning dew falling from the roof to the porch floor, the sleepy laughter of children at bus stops, the whirs and hums of cars, bicycle bells, birds, all faded away into the windsong. The rhythm of dancing leaves and the stray wind chime was slow today, the song soft and easy. Nothing in the wind sang of intrusion; no warning danced in the branches.

Peace and harmony made the melody today, as they had each day for the past five years, no matter how much disbelief roiled in her stomach. Pessimistic as ever, she huffed and raked a hand through her short locks, crossed her arms, breaking her meditation. She opened her eyes, watching the trees and flirting birds, squinting, trying to find any sign of unrest. The uneasiness, she knew, was not on the air but churning within her.

Peace bored her, strung her tight.

"Haruka."

Slim arms snaked around her waist, and a soft body pressed against her back. Haruka sighed, feeling herself unwind. She closed her eyes, covered the manicured fingers with her own, leaning her head and resting it on top of soft, aquamarine waves. She smelled perfume.

"Hotaru is still sleeping, and Setsuna's vanished again." Michiru said. Setsuna tended to vanish now and again, checking on the Time Gate, gazing into the Fourth Dimension. She'd seen nothing unusual for almost four bless years. Michiru's lips brushed the lone hoop dangling from Haruka's ear lobe. "Let me illustrate a benefit of peace and quiet that you may have overlooked in your brooding."

A slow smirk twisted her lips. "Brooding?"

"God, yes, you're worse than Mamoru these days." Michiru reached around her, tugged a button on Haruka's silk nightshirt open.

Even as Michiru's fingers began to explore and tease her breasts, Haruka narrowed her eyes. "Has Mamoru been brooding?" Her mind jumped immediately to Usagi. Michiru sighed delicately.

"Usagi is perfectly safe. Now, a little focus, please, Haruka? Your inattention is insulting."

With surprising strength, her hands tightened around Haruka's upper arms and spun her around. She continued her work with the buttons, fingers brushing Haruka's stomach as she pushed each one free. Haruka played with her lover's hair, brushing it out of her face. When her night shirt was hanging open, Haruka quirked an eyebrow, grateful her back was to the street. An suburb was waking up around them. Still, excitement began to pool deep in her belly.

"Were you planning to do this here on the balcony then?"

Unperturbed, Michiru let her hands slid gently up Haruka's waist and over her chest. "Just as you please." When she moved to slide the shirt off of Haruka's shoulders, Haruka came alive. She grabbed Michiru, claiming her plump lips and exploring as she pushed her inside, kicking the door shut behind her and roughly tumbling back onto the bed. She supported herself over Michiru, kissing her jawline and down her neck.

"Your modesty is charming, dearest." Michiru's composed voice was just breathy enough to drive Haruka mad with desire. She searched for a sensitive spot on Michiru's neck and was rewarded with a delicate moan. She grinned.

"Someone has to be the sensible one."

Michiru's laugh caught in her throat when Haruka's hands teased her inner thigh, but the aqua-haired beauty couldn't resist another jab.

"If you're the sensible one, perhaps the end _is _near."

Haruka grinned, grabbed a handful of the lace pooling around Michiru's legs and hiked it up. She thrived on Michiru's quick breaths and wide eyes. "You talk too much," Haruka said. "What happened to the benefits of peace and quiet?"

"Perhaps a little noise is good now and then."

Both women, a little while later, agreed that it was.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15th, 7:31 am**

Further into the city, in a small apartment made bigger by the grand view from the master bedroom window, Mamoru was indeed brooding. He threw open the curtains to peek at the rising sun. He glowered at the cityscape, focusing his black gaze on the outline of the hospital building, then reread the email on his phone.

"You're on night call tonight, Chiba-san, Takumi is sick."

His supervisor had no qualms about ordering Mamoru around and occupying as much of his free time as possible. Mamoru massaged his temple. One of the benefits of doing his rotation in pediatrics was supposed to be the normal hours! Yet, alas- Tokyo General had a separate emergency room for children, and for the next month, Mamoru operated at the whim of the head of medical education in Tokyo General's pediatric ER rather than shadowing a 8-4 pediatrician as he had expected.

Mamoru didn't mind night call on principle, but he minded it tonight. Night call meant that he'd watch as the ER physicians tended broken bones, bumped heads, and fevers, and assist where he was meant sitting around the peds ER waiting for the doors of the trauma bay to open. On a slow night, he could retreat to the call room, get some sleep. On a busy night, he thrived on the adrenaline. He didn't normally mind night call, but he minded it tonight. Tonight was date night.

He turned away from the window to study his wife. She was still sleeping, he noted with some surprise. He'd heard stories from the other girls about how junior high Usagi used to sleep like the dead, even when battles with aliens hadn't kept her up all night. But with each year he knew her, the less easily she slept. She was a restless dreamer, and as she matured, so did her second sight. Her dreams told stories, glimpsed the future, gave warnings, foretold blessings.

They all learned very quickly to pay attention to her dreams, just as they might to Rei's visions, Mamoru's hunches, Ami's data, Michiru's mirror, Setsuna's cryptic comments. He watched the others, too, as they grew into familiarity with their element. Makoto listened to thunderstorms, and Minako saw messages in light or in love. Haruka heard the wind as he himself felt the Earth, and even young Hotaru, 16 now, it seemed, already took notice of silence.

Usagi had class today, so she'd be awake soon. She set an alarm, but he debated waiting her up with kisses, to soften the blow of date night. He'd keep the reservation, tell her to take one of the girls or Naru out to dinner, his treat. He'd call ahead for flowers to wait on them, and he'd take Usagi out himself tomorrow night or next week sometime. The plan appealed to him, so he unplugged Usagi's cell phone, deposited it in the laundry hamper, and shoved it to the bottom to muffle it. She wouldn't be needing that alarm. Grinning, he crawled back onto the bed, positioning himself over her and began kissing down her jawline and neck.

She moaned; his grin widened. They had been married nearly two years, but his body and soul still thrilled that she'd chosen him, that she desired him.

"Usako," he sang, lips brushing her ear. "Wake up."

One brilliant eye popped open, regarding him. "If I don't wake up, will you continue to try to wake me?"

"Mmm-hmm." He let one hand play in her hair as he kissed a slow line back up her jaw.

Eyes closed again, her sleepy smile turned expectant. "Then I'm still sleeping."

"Excellent." Mamoru climbed under the covers, where his hands could roam freely. Within minutes, Usagi was wide awake. And no matter the hours he'd spent looking in her eyes, the light in them always surprised him.

_Me? Really? _He wondered at it still, that she loved him, but he never doubted that love. And as his hands explored her body, he reveled in the desire that sparked in those blue eyes. _Me. Truly._

XXX

**Thursday, January 15th, 8:24 am**

"Minako-chan, wake up. You're going to be late for class."

When Ami's gentle voice proved ineffective, Luna rolled her eyes. While Usagi seemed to have matured out of many of her former habits, the Guardian of Venus was holding on to adolescence with tenacity. Artemis winked at Ami, then jumped from the bookshelf onto Minako's stomach.

"Oof!" Minako folded inward, grunting. Clear blue eyes snapped open in indignation. "Artemis!"

The white cat only laughed. He noted her alertness. "You heard Ami all along, Minako-chan. Get up. Go to class. You have International Law in 30 minutes."

Minako pouted and sighed dramatically as she kicked her blanket aside. Ami giggled, putting down her pencil to watch her friend. Their suite in the dormitory of Tokyo University had separate bedrooms, with a twin bed and desk in each room, and a common kitchen and bathroom. Ami often moved her studies to Minako's desk in the morning so she could wake Minako up. Luna and Artemis weren't always here to enjoy the show, but the two feline mentors tended to migrate over from Usagi and Mamoru's apartment once in a while for a change of scenery. That, and Artemis's need to be close to Minako.

"Wait, which class is it?!" Minako stuck her head out of the bathroom door, panicked.

"International Law. 9 AM," Ami supplied, amused.

"How much time do I have?!"

Luna glanced at the clock. "30 minutes."

Minako's eyes widened further. "ONLY 30 MINUTES! Oh, my God, but Kota-san is in that class!" She slammed the door shut, and the sounds of frantic feminine rituals began. "Oh, WHY do I have so much hair?! I swear I'm going to cut it!"

Ami laughed. "She swears this almost every morning, Luna. But getting her to cut it 12 inches off of it last year took an act of God." Minako had finally been convinced to cut her hair to a manageable length. It was still long by society's standards, going all the way down her back, but it was much easier to manage in the mornings, especially mornings like this when she was desperate to catch the eye of a classmate.

"At least she'll be able to dry it most of the way if she hurries. Do you plan to try to try to convince Rei or Setsuna to follow suit?" Luna wondered. She hopped into Ami's lap.

Ami smiled, noting that Luna had left out Usagi. Luna couldn't bear it if Usagi cut her hair or stopped wearing in the traditional style of the lunar royalty. Luckily, Usagi had never felt inclined, and just kept the ends trimmed and neat.

"I doubt either of them could be convinced. Rei has taken to braiding hers sometimes since she isn't nearly as fussy as Minako, and Setsuna... I wouldn't dare bring it up!"

Artemis studied the bathroom door with narrowed eyes. "Ami, who is Kota?"

Ami shrugged delicately. "Minako's latest romantic interest. She hasn't brought him by yet, so I haven't met him before. He's fairly recent. She is hoping to get him to agree to a double date." She blushed. "Minako wants me to go with her, but is complains that getting a date for me is taking away from her efforts with Kota."

Artemis scoffed. "She should be spending every night with you studying so she can be sure to keep her volleyball scholarship. Sure, volleyball season is over, but they'll still be watching her grades this spring!"

Ami stroked Luna's head absently. "We still study together. We negotiate. She agrees to study with me if I agree to go dancing or shopping with her."

Artemis turned to gawk at her. "And what do you get out of that arrangement, Ami-chan?!"

Ami turned back to her studies, embarrassed. "I get to have fun with Minako and know that she's working on her studies too. I like helping her."

Luna smiled at Ami's sincerity. She probably truly did enjoy helping Minako more than she did going out shopping or dancing.

At that moment, Minako burst from the bathroom with her hair styled and makeup applied. She dressed in a huff, taking time to zip up knee high brown leather boots and fuss with a soft teal scarf over her cream-colored coat, then ran out the door with a breathless, "Ja ne!"

Wistfully, Luna remarked, "Some things change, but some things never do."

Guessing her thoughts, Artemis said, "Usagi is still our Usagi-chan, Luna. She's just grown up. Mamoru has played a role in steadying her, of course, but she is her mother's daughter as well, and Selene was a steady woman." He made a face. "It's funny! Minako was so serious when she first Usagi, years ago, but Usagi and the other girls lightened her burden so much. She seems to be going the opposite direction as Usagi!"

"Artemis!" Ami chided. She continued taking notes from her medical readings. "Minako takes her role as future commander of the Inner Soldiers very seriously! But she is also quite determined to enjoy her life as a regular college student while she can. For her, that means trying to find love before she turns into Princess of Venus, Ambassador to the Moon, and Commanding Guardian."

"As she should," Artemis supposed. "What about you, Ami-chan?"

Ami's pencil stilled. She looked up, her gaze wandering. "I'm just trying to finish med school." She focused again. "Just like Mamoru. I might see him tonight. He's rotating in the pediatric emergency room this semester. Usagi says he works nights once in a while. I'm shadowing one of Mother's friends in the trauma bay tonight. So I need to finish my readings now so I can catch a nap before her shift starts."

XXX

**Thursday, January 15th, 10:48 am**

Sugar and Spice Catering occupied a tiny hole in the wall storefront where Makoto sold her meticulously decorated sweets from 11 am to 4pm each day except Saturdays. Saturdays, and some evenings during the week, she did personal cheffing, freelance cooking, and catered small events. Right now, she was a one-woman show, other than Rei coming in cashier at the storefront a couple days a week while she caught up on baking.

She'd come downstairs from her apartment above the storefront before sunrise to bake for the day. As she carried in the last tray of lemon cupcakes, she noticed a familiar silhouette peering through the window. Makoto smiled, and shook her head. She opened the door, her smile widening.

"Ohayoo, Usagi-chan!"

Usagi's face was flushed from the January chill and the obvious effort she'd exerted to get here. Her face danced with mirth.

"Do you have an event tonight, Mako-chan? Ooh, lemon cupcakes! How much?"

Makoto laughed. "Take one on the house. But just one, I'm trying to make a living here."

Usagi grinned. "I'll pay for seconds."

"Deal. What about tonight? I'm assisting a pastry chef at Camille's tonight." Makoto lined up the cupcakes in the display case, careful not to disturb the delicate swirls of lemon buttercream frosting.

"You're going to be cooking at Camille's tonight?!" Usagi laughed. "I was going to ask you to go to dinner there with me, but you'll already be there. I'll make sure to order dessert then. Mamoru made reservations for us, but he got called in tonight."

Makoto wrote her specials for the day in pastels on the chalkboard beside the display case.

"Aw, thanks for thinking of me, Usagi-chan! Tell your server you know me when you order dessert, and I'll bring it out. Maybe one of the other girls can go with you?"

"Well, I think Ami-chan is at the hospital tonight, and if I know Minako, she's going out. I'm surprised I haven't been called for backup, but she doesn't ask me to be her wingman as much since I got married." Usagi's eyes laughed as she bit into the cupcake. Makoto imagined Usagi didn't mind the change one bit.

"Being Minako's wingman is exhausting. There are only so many possible outcomes," Makoto observed. She hung the chalkboard. "A)Minako ditches you early in the evening for a guy. B) Minako drinks too much and requires babysitting. C) Minako gets distracted by karaoke, and you have to become her bodyguard for the night."

Usagi threw back her head and laughed at that one, twin trails of blond hair dancing. "That last one has never happened to me. But I wouldn't be much of a bodyguard."

Makoto flipped the sign to open, and took her seat on the stool. She scoffed. "Well, Sailor Moon would be pretty much the best bodyguard ever, but let's not upset the natural order of things, huh? Besides, Minako hardly needs anyone's assistance with drunk frat boys that whistle while she sings. And if she does, I'll be happy to practice some of the moves Haruka's been teaching me." She pounded a fist into her palm, grinning wickedly.

Usagi settled in one of the chairs by the bar. "What's Haruka's going rate these days? A cake per lesson?"

"Last time I traded her a whole loaf of banana nut bread. Hey, maybe she and Michiru would let you take Hotaru out for the night? She'd get a kick out of that."

Usagi licked the remainder of the icing from her fingers. "Maybe. She might be working at the vet's tonight. I can check. I'd like to spend more time with her. If she's working, maybe Rei would go with me!"

"Go with you where?"

Usagi jumped in her chair, squealing. "Rei-chan!"

The other girls laughed her reaction, each of their minds wandering back to their junior high days, and lingering there for a moment. Usagi stood, hugging Rei in greeting. Rei wore her priestess's robe since she wasn't scheduled to cashier today.

"To Camille's. Mamoru made us reservations, but he got called into work. He said I should take a friend and go anyway! Mako-chan just turned me down because she's helping with pastry there tonight. Wanna go?"

Rei sat down next to Usagi. "Dinner on Mamoru's dime? Count me in. When are you done with classes? Maybe you could meet me at the temple? I was hoping you'd sit with me while I do the reading."

Usagi's expression grew serious. She glanced at the clock. "I have class at 2 and 3:30, but I am done by 4:30. I can be there by 5:30? I want to go home and change. Mamoru made the reservations for 7:00. Will that give us enough time?"

Once every two weeks. Rei sat down before Great Fire to pray and meditate specifically on the past Silver Millenium and the coming Crystal Millenium. Because her strongest connection to the Crystal Millenium was Chibi-Usa, she asked Usagi or Mamoru to be present while she prayed, because their connections to Chibi-Usa were the strongest. Secretly, she preferred Usagi's company over Mamoru's or anyone's because Usagi gave her visions clarity like no one else. Sometimes she saw visions of the past or glimpses into the future, near and far. With Usagi, these were clearer and stronger. And since their last battle ended when they were 16, these had been blessedly pleasant times filled with beautiful visions.

Yet, Usagi took them so seriously because more than any of them, she felt the pressure to bring the future they'd seen into being. She carried the Crystal, and with it, the burden of knowing her role in changing the universe would be pivotal. And she wanted to be ready. Each time she and Rei sat down before the fire, she prayed for guidance, and looked into the future for possible enemies.

"Let's do it," she said.

XXX

**The Gate of Time**

**Time/Date: NA**

Sailor Pluto gazed into the expanse of the fourth dimension with a soft smile gracing her face. She couldn't help taking time time to watch over the ones she loved while she monitored the flow of Time. Usagi's display of her usual carefree nature alongside her new seriousness warmed her heart. And because Rei and Usagi prayed together, Sailor Pluto did not have to leave earth as often as she might want to. She was not the only one watching and listening, monitoring.

Winds and indistinct murmurs danced around her. She could pick out certain voices or hone in on certain locations or moments in time if she concentrated. Listening for Usagi was instinctive, and hers was the easiest voice to hear. She listened, and the image of Usagi waving goodbye to Makoto and Rei appeared in the clouds around her. _Back to class, and then to pray. _Usagi's voice and light were so much brighter as she sat with Rei before the fire.

Content, she let her mind pick up on the next easiest voice for her to hear. Once, this used to be Chibi-Usa, but now that she spent so much time on Earth, in one timeline with Usagi, Chibi-Usa's voice was different now, stronger and deeper and harder to trace. And she did not need Sailor Pluto's guidance now as much as she once had.

No, the voice and image she sought next was sweet and dangerous. _Hotaru. _Sailor Pluto honed in on her adoptive daughter's light and voice, and concentrated. An image of Hotaru and Michiru appeared. They were in the study of their large and luxurious home, sitting at the mahogany desk. Study time, Sailor Pluto noted. Hotaru was homeschooled by all three of her parents, and this was her final year of high school. She was a patient student and a serious girl, but once in a while, a glimpse of playfulness broke through, especially around Usagi. Hotaru was happy and thriving now, and almost grown.

With a familiar twinge of guilt, Sailor Pluto let her mind wander to the face she often saw in her dreams. _Endymion. _Mamoru's light was golden and warm, his voice becoming clearer as she focused. He was sleeping, napping before his night shift, she imagined. She quickly let the image go, but not before the wistfulness and agonizing guilt filled her.

"Selene, forgive me," she whispered aloud. Her body and her heart responded to Mamoru. Sometimes the way her body reacted to Mamoru was the only thing that reminded her that she was fully human, a woman, not solely a goddess, body-less timeless entity. And her body's betrayal and the treason of her heart filled her with shame.

Sailor Pluto..._Setsuna _loved Usagi, Serenity more than she could describe, and her loyalty is unshakeable. And Usagi looks deep into her soul, sees all, and does not judge. Daily Pluto prayed for the feelings she had for Mamoru to leave her, daily she petitioned Selene for forgiveness. She was lonely, and Setsuna's body is a healthy 25 year old woman. She longs for companionship and lusts for a man, and Mamoru is the best man she knows. _Is this my fate, _she wondered. _To always pine for Endymion, never to find love of my own? _

She surveyed the formless surroundings around her wryly. tossing emerald hair. It was certainly hard to meet men up here. Perhaps soon, when Usagi becomes Neo-Queen Serenity and the Crystal Millenium begins.

Sailor Pluto cannot glimpse her own future. Vague visions only, and only in deepest meditation. But she can see her home. With nostalgia, Sailor Pluto closed her eyes and listened for the solemn call of her home planet. She concentrated, projected. When she opened her eyes, she floated in the dark expanse of space, magic glowing around her. Stars glimmered and silence reigned, but the sight of her small, beautiful planet comforted her. _One day life will thrive here once more. _

She descended, feeling ground beneath her feet. The sun seemed so tiny, only slightly larger and brighter than the other stars around her. She turned, caught a glimpse of Charon, Pluto's largest moon. She studied it, smiling softly. How poor a substitute Charon made when she longed to see the glow of Earth's moon, when she longed to see Selene and Princess Serenity. She'd gazed on it often in her past life, while she guarded the edges of the solar system from invasion.

As she watched, something glinted and sparked on Charon. Smoke, or steam seemed to hover over one spot on the surface, then a spray of ice spouted from the ground like a spray of lava might on the Earth. Sudden alarm and dread filled Sailor Pluto. She gripped her Garnet Rod, sent a blast of energy at the ground of Pluto, sent herself hurtling towards Charon. She saw the remnants of an ice volcano's eruption. And she saw a glowing figure in the distance, a figure hurtling towards Earth.


	3. Omens

_Greetings again, friends. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed so far. I think this story will get fewer hits and reviews than my previous ones since I've rated it M, and the M stories don't automatically appear without adjusting the filters. But that's okay! The M rating is necessary, as you will see later. I'm grateful for those that found me._

_Let's see where it takes us, ne? _

_-rosa lunae _

**Luminescence**

Chapter 2: Omens

**Thursday, January 15**

**2:15pm, Tokyo University**

Minako let her focus wander during her final class of the day. Thanks to the her blossoming powers as the goddess of love, she could sense lust and romance and could feel the strength and stability of romantic connections. All of these she measured by comparing them to the bond connecting Usagi and Mamoru; she had never felt its equal for depth and strength.

Haruka and Michiru made a valiant second place among everyone in Minako's current acquaintance, but their love lacked the thousand year old history. Stranded on their own planets, standing guard against intruders, Neptune and Uranus of the Silver Millenium could only pine for each other, meeting rarely when all nine soldiers gathered.

Minako's sixth sense felt more and more natural. For example, she focused her attention on her classmate, Kota, because she was aware of his notice of her. Attraction and interest, these were clear. Minako longed for more.

She glanced at the clock, then attempted to listen to the professor's final words. Criminal Pathology so far required extra help from Ami with medical terms. Surprisingly, Usagi proved an excellent study partner for this course. Her degree had required this course as well as Abnormal Psych, so Minako was in the somewhat baffling position of relying on Usagi for academic assistance! The thought amused her.

A light flashed in the corner of her gaze. She glanced back at the clock, frowning. She thought she saw a strange gold light reflected in the clock face. She stared and stared, but it did not flash again. She wondered if Kota would be at the club tonight to hear her sing.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**3:20pm, Home of Outer Senshi**

Barely a week passed after Haruka and Michiru closed on their lavish home before Haruka claimed one room for a home gym, and days later, in addition to a rack of hand weights, a bench press, leg press, treadmill, elliptical, aerobics mat, Haruka had installed a punching bag and kicking dummy. Michiru's stipulation on the home had been a close proximity to the sea; Haruka's had been room for this home gym and a very large garage.

Setsuna had made few requests. She'd contributed a third of the cost for the house when they closed with money from stock trades. She asked only to be not too far from Usagi and for a small room she could use as a design studio. And of course, a garden. Despite her title as Soldier of the Underworld, Setsuna relished in coaxing life from the ground. She was content. Michiru was content with her music room and the sea nearby. Hotaru was content so long as her guardians were happy, and the noise of the city was far away.

Haruka was not content. More than any of the other Senshi, she languished in five years of peace. She was a protector, and finally, everyone she loved was safe. Sure, she would enjoy flexing her commendable talent for terrorizing on any of Hotaru's dates, but despite her upcoming 17th birthday, Hotaru had shown only limited interest in dating or having friends in general outside of the Senshi. She couldn't even terrify teenage boys, and now that her family was settled, her races were fewer.

She stretched her muscles. No music when she worked out. Nothing that would disturb the sound of the wind.

"Everyone has pent up aggression," Setsuna had assured her once. "You are not a violent soul, Haruka; your heart shifts with the wind, and so it is hard for you to settle. You may just need to beat the shit out of something once in a while. You know, to keep your feet on the ground."

Philosophical Setsuna swore when Hotaru wasn't around. Haruka smirked as she strapped on her gloves. She bounced in place, getting her heartrate up. A few exploratory jabs at the punching bag. The impact, the rippling of tension down her arm pleased her.

This time to herself was different. She let her mind wander when the only person she could hurt punching and kicking was herself. Sparring with another person, especially someone as talented as Makoto or unpredictable as Rei required much more concentration. She focused on them, stayed in sensei mode.

Not alone. Alone, with only the bag and the dummy, she let herself remember her own ferocity. She remembered old anger, ancient griefs. Sometimes she just pictured Seiya's face-but after so many years, she couldn't see it clearly or remember why she'd hated him so much. Sometimes it was remembering Pharaoh 90 or Galaxia.

Today, despite its lovely beginning, took her to a dark place. The Moon. The courtyard of flowers drenched with blood, Usagi's cold skin. Her body was not stiff yet. Haruka had closed the young girl's eyes, pulled the sword from her chest. Her punches came faster, harder. She whirled, focused on the dummy instead. Roundhouse to the jaw, imagining Beryl's face, the enemy she'd never got her hands on, in this life or the last. Ax kick to the gut, chop to the neck, left hook.

Soon sweat was pouring, and Haruka's hands were throbbing despite the boxing gloves. Too often she'd been too far away to help Usagi, too late. She stopped suddenly, breathing hard. She listened. The wind. The wind shifted directions quietly, whistled through the open window.

Haruka tossed the gloves to the floor, snagged her cell phone, hit Usagi's speed dial. She waited, swearing when Usagi's peppy voicemail sounded immediately.

"Koneko, it's me. Call me when you get a chance, huh? Thanks."

Hearing her voice calmed Haruka's nerves considerably. She wandered to the window, watching how the branches moved. The direction _had _shifted, but the breeze was gentle.

Feeling uneasy, Haruka pocketed her phone, left the gym. She went down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Michiru, plucked Michiru's enchanted mirror from the vanity. Of course, it didn't respond to her touch, so she left the room with one longing glance at her sword, where it hung on the wall. Then she followed the music.

"Michiru?"

She stuck her head into the music room where Michiru was playing. Hotaru lounged on a sofa, reading. She smiled at Haruka's entrance, but returned her attention to her book. Haruka noted Hotaru's safety and calm with relief, nerves loosening a bit more.

"Michiru."

Her lover finished the song with a gentle flourish, then looked up. Her expression softened into amused tolerance when she noticed the mirror.

"Who do you want to see, dearest? Usagi?"

Haruka sat next to her on the bench. "Please. The wind shifted. It could be nothing."

The glass came alive in Michiru's hand. Usagi appeared, locking the door to her apartment. She was dressed nicely; nicer than class but more casual than if she was going out with Mamoru. She slung her purse over her arm, headed down her stairs to the street.

"She's fine, darling," Michiru noted.

Haruka's anxiety had turned to petulance. "She didn't answer my call."

Michiru laughed. She flipped her own cell phone opened and dialed. Straight to voicemail, no response from Usagi. Haruka pouted.

"She probably forgot to turn it back on after class or something, Haruka." She let the image go. "She's fine. She'll call you back once she realizes she's missed your call. She always does."

"True," Haruka murmured. She glanced over at Hotaru, still reading. The young girl's legs waved in the air as she grinned at the page. Nothing to alarm there.

"Perhaps it was nothing."

Michiru began playing a soothing melody, a low lullaby she'd composed for Haruka especially. Haruka listened with pleasure for a moment, snaking her arm around Michiru's waist and resting her head among the aqua waves of her hair.

When she stopped playing, Haruka lifted her head to kiss Michiru's hair. "Beautiful, as always," she whispered. Then her brows knit again.

"Michiru, can you check on Setsuna?"

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Hikawa Shrine, 5:25pm**

Rei liked to walk the grounds of the temple when her anxiety rose, and for some reason today, she couldn't settle. Her other duties complete, she took a circular path beneath the cherry trees. How she longed for them to bloom, but spring was months away yet.

This place, the Hikawa Shrine, her temple... this was her sanctuary. A brisk breeze sang in the tree branches, and the mountain was out, as they said. Mount Fuji's place in the horizon was sometimes obscured by fog, but here she could see it clearly. Sounds of traffic were distant, voices quieted here.

Once, she could think of nothing but life beyond these walls. She considered college, debating between a literature, history, or religion major. She loved reading ancient texts and exploring all spiritualities. When her grandfather died, shortly before her high school graduation, these dreams lost their shine, and she devoted herself to the temple, taking over as Priestess. Sometimes she read the fire for herself, and she never found any reason to regret her choices.

The morning, the great fire had yielded no warnings; in fact, her reading had yielded nothing at all, which was an oddity itself. She hoped with Usagi's presence she would be able to focus better. The fire danced for Usagi.

Speaking of Usagi... Rei glanced at her phone. She was cutting it a little close. Five years ago, this would have been normal, but now the slightest nick of concern began to fester. She saw no text messages. She dialed Usagi's number, but the call went straight to voicemail. True alarm began to pound behind her ribs, and she turned back to the temple and began to run.

"Cell phones," Rei grumbled, scrolling down her contacts as she ran. _Everyone needs to wear their communicators again. _She dialed Mamoru once she reached the front landing of the temple, watching for Usagi.

_Calm, _she told herself. _No sense scaring Mamoru about what is probably nothing. _

"Moshi moshi."

"Mamoru, it's Rei. Thanks in advance for a nice dinner." At least the sun hadn't set yet, and the walkway was visibly. Usagi was impossible to miss thanks to that hair.

_Calm, calm, calm._

Mamoru was not so easily fooled. She heard the suspicion in his voice. "Thanks for keeping Usagi company. Is something wrong? She just left here to meet you. I'm heading into the hospital."

"Oh, she must just be running late, then."_ Calm. _

"She's not there yet? She left 20 minutes ago." _Too late. _

"Well, I tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail."

Rei heard some shuffling, then an anxious laugh. "Her phone is here. It's dead."

"Oh, Usagi." Rei realized she was pacing.

"This one's on me, Rei. I...uh... it's just on me."

Rei's eyebrows shot up into her ebony bangs, and she stopped pacing. She recognized that flustered tone. "Say no more. But you haven't felt anything from her?"

"No." He didn't sound placated. He sounded on the edge of panic.

Rei squinted, then smiled in relief. "She just came around the corner, Mamoru. I worried you for nothing, gomen nasai." Usagi waved as she came up the temple steps. The sunset gave her a warm glow. "She's fine, and I'll make sure she gets home okay."

"Thanks, Rei." His gratitude seemed to throb through the phone. "God knows Usako can take care of herself, and I should know that by now, but-"

"But you'd much rather look after her yourself. Me too, friend. Ja."

She hung up as Usagi hopped the last step. "Sorry, I'm late," she panted, hooking her arm through Rei's. "I missed the train.

Rei wrapped her arm Usagi's waist and pulled her close, feeling her pulse calm. "No harm done." She closed her eyes, at peace again, and let go. She glanced at Usagi as she led her through temple, towards the center room with the Great Fire. Usagi's eyes were soft and understanding, and he smile apologized again.

Rei noticed her outfit. Knee high boots, flirty floral dress, blue coat. "You look hot, Chiba."

"You're my hot date, Hino. Besides, had to make sure Mamoru knew what he was missing out on," she added, giggling.

"That's just added torture. He already knew."

"Sure, but the look in his eyes was worth the trouble. And you called me hot. Win-win."

Rei laughed. They stopped in front of the door to the sacred room. With a final companionable squeeze of Rei's hand, Usagi led her inside.

Usagi removed her shoes, knelt just behind Rei. She watched the fire, smiled at it's shy greeting. Rei closed her eyes, began to pray. And Usagi thought of her daughter.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**6:15pm, Tokyo General**

The emergency room was slow tonight. One car accident, minor injuries all around, three sick elderly people, two of which were sent back home after examination, and one chef who had burned himself badly. Ami had watched the treatment of the burn with clinical fascination, noting the pattern of blistering across the man's forearm.

"Boiling water?" she'd guessed. She'd been right.

At her mentor's request, she checked walked next door to the pediatric ER. Mamoru was probably doing the 6 to 6; she'd check and see how he was handling losing date night to Rei.

She used her student's badge to open the doors, then chuckled at the sight. Two residents, five nurses, and Mamoru were all milling around one exam room where the only patient and his mother were sitting.

The case was clearly not very urgent; the little boy, 4 maybe, was talking a mile a minute, grinning from ear to ear. Whatever story he was telling with his hands seemed to entertain the staff.

"Mamoru-san?"

Mamoru turned, smiled his greeting as he walked away from the crowded exam room.

"At least someone's enjoying himself."

"Yeah. Kid's fine. He swallowed a marble, and mom panicked."

"She's coming down, looks like." The woman raised her eyes to the ceiling, shaking her head at her son. Struggling not to smile.

"Slow in the ED too. Three potential cardiac episodes so far, but one was gas, and one was muscle strain. The other one we admitted after a suspicious echo. One MVC, minor. A sous chef that spilled boiling water. That's all so far."

"Usako said Makoto is assisting the pastry chef at Camille's tonight," Mamoru sighed. "I love her lemon souffle."

"Chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Being here wouldn't be so bad if something interesting were to distract you from souffle and Usagi-chan. Perhaps a motorcycle crash or a rare disease?"

Mamoru had to laugh at her hopeful tone. "Ami, I am not wishing for calamities to befall innocent people for my own entertainment."

Mortified, Ami blushed. "Of course not."

"But that would make the time go by faster," he agreed quietly, looking towards the busy exam room. The boy was laughing with the nurses while one of the residents spoke with the mother. Mamoru sat at one of the nurse stations, sighing suddenly.

"Ami, Rei called me a while ago. She was worried because Usagi was running late, and she'd left her cell phone at home."

Concerned, Ami took the chair next to him.

"Is everything alright?" She shook her head at herself. "Of course it is, you're here. You would know."

Mamoru smiled. "That's what Rei said. And she is right. I would know. Sometimes I can sense if Usako is particularly anxious while she takes an exam, or frightened by something she sees on TV. When Makoto was robbed, she was terribly upset. When Rei's grandfather died, I could feel when she found out. But it's been so long since I've felt her fear, felt her transform... when Rei called, I was afraid I missed something. But Usako got to the temple two minutes into Rei's call."

"Surely you don't need my reassurance, Mamoru-san. More than any of us, even, you are connected to Usagi." She smiled. "You can really feel if she's nervous about a test?"

When he nodded, she smiled. "Can you feel her now?"

Mamoru closed his eyes. "Yes. She's... praying. With Rei." His face creased in concentration. "I don't get words, just feelings, and sometimes images. Right now she is feel nostalgic, missing Chibi-Usa." The way his voice thickened gave his own feelings away. "It's stronger if I am outside, if I can touch the earth. Then I can reach out to her, find her."

Ami smiled. "And how did it feel to you when she transformed in the old days?"

He grimaced. "It was rough in the beginning because she always transformed out of fear, and when she transformed, her emotions just exploded in my head. But as she gain experience and confidence, that part faded. It's an instantaneous adrenaline rush for a moment, filled with her feelings. Once I discovered the Golden Crystal, I could feel the Silver Crystal calling to it, to me. It's difficult to explain, but impossible to miss." He heard his own words. "Yeah, I would have known."

At that moment, the trauma bay doors opened, filled with a toddler's screams. As the Pediatric ER exploded into motion, Mamoru missed the buzz of his phone.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Home of the Outer Senshi, 7:48pm**

Haruka ended the call, scowling at her phone. "Goddammit. First Usagi, now Mamoru. Why do we have these stupid things? After tonight, everyone's wearing their communicators again, especially those two." She resumed her pacing.

On the couch, Michiru monitored the mirror while Hotaru typed into her phone. "I'm watching Usagi now, darling. She's fine. She's having dinner with Rei. Looks like a nice place."

Hotaru's phone buzzed. "It's Camille's," she said. "Minako just texted me back. Usagi and Rei are at Camille's and Makoto is cooking there tonight. Ami is at the hospital with Mamoru."

"Okay, well, at least neither of them is alone." She paced a few more steps, then stopped. "I don't like it. Let's go to the Control Room. If Minako and Usagi are both out, Luna and Artemis might be there, and we need to see what Setsuna saw."

As they loaded into Haruka's car, Michiru noted the sudden unrest of the sea.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Camille's, 8:14pm**

"Makoto, it appears you've outdone yourself."

Rei put her own spoon down and watched with amusement as Usagi savored the french dessert Makoto had delivered personally. Usagi's expression was almost embarrassing.

"It looks that way. Usagi-chan, do you need some privacy with my raspberry clafoutis?"

Usagi swallowed rapturously, then grinned. "This is amazing, Mako-chan. And the mint chocolate whipped cream doesn't hurt one bit."

Makoto beamed. She'd donned her white chef's coat and tidied her makeup to come and present the dessert to Rei and Usagi. Other tables were watching, and Makoto relished Usagi's pleasure. Rei loved the clafoutis too, but there was nothing like a dramatic friend when you personally present a dish in a very full, very popular restaurant.

Rei and Usagi had been watched all night, in fact. When they'd arrived, the manager came to seat them himself, taking them to a table by the window bearing a bouquet of stargazer lilies and a chilling bottle of champagne. Camille herself, the executive chef, and now Makoto, had come out to their table. Plus, Rei and Usagi were beautiful, smiling women, so they'd had an audience throughout their meal.

"Thanks for bringing it out yourself, Makoto," Rei said. "It's really delicious, and we know it must be crazy back there!"

Makoto grinned. "It is. Camille throws things and shouts in French on nights like this. I better get back in there." She waved and hustled back to the kitchen.

In a rare display of affection, Rei reached across the table for Usagi's hand. "Usagi, tonight has been so wonderful. I know I'm a poor substitute for Mamoru, but I have had the best time. Make sure you thank Mamoru for me."

Usagi squeezed Rei's hand, smiling brilliantly. "I will. Rei, I love you, and I've had a wonderful time too."

Suddenly, the lights in the restaurant flickered and went out.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Senshi Control Room, 9:00pm**

"What the hell was that?" Haruka demanded when the power surged back on.

Hotaru typed furiously, following Lunda's instructions while Artemis attempted to pinpoint the disturbance. The monitors were going haywire.

"Some kind of magnetic disturbance," Artemis bit out. "Power just surged all over the city, and look- an aurora!"

One of the screens showed a view of the Tokyo cityscape where an odd green and gold natural light display danced.

"Something is happening," Michiru said, staring into her mirror. "Usagi's restaurant just went dark."

Haruka's eyes hardened. "Let's go." Instead of her keys, she pulled out her transformation pen.

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Tokyo General, 9:00**

Generator power immediately kicked on at the hospital, making the effects of the power surge a flicker, nothing more. But Mamoru sensed the change on the earth; he concentrated, trying to pinpoint the location of the sudden magnetic disturbance, but he needed to be outside.

The peds ER was calm again, so Mamoru told his supervisor that he was headed to the call room until another page came in. Instead, he went next door.

"Ami." Ami looked up immediately, followed him without a word. Once they got outside, Mamoru knelt in the green space and put his hand to the Earth, and Ami pulled out her computer.

Two minutes of intense concentration were interrupted when the darkness and panic hit him. A sudden void, a staggering loss... he gasped, sagging to his knees, crying out.

_No. No. It can't be._

Ami was on the ground next to him, shaking him. "Mamoru, what?" Her blue eyes reflected the odd light dancing in the sky. The world seemed to grey around the edges. He put his hand to his chest, couldn't breathe, couldn't stop gasping. A clinical part of his mind noted that he was hyperventilating.

Ami pushed his head down, commanded him to breathe deeply. He sucked in two deep breaths through his nose, put his hand to his heart.

"She's gone. Usako's gone."


	4. Gone

**Luminescence **

_ It feels great to be writing again. It's nice to see reviews from old friends, and good to meet new ones as well. Thanks for reading. -rosa_

Chapter 3: Gone

**Thursday, January 15**

**Tokyo General,9:13pm**

"Gone? What do you mean, _gone_?!" Ami shook Mamoru again, feeling a chill snake down her spine.

Mamoru was kneeling in the dirt in his suit and labcoat, shaking. A cold sweat dripped down his blanched face, and his breaths came fast and haggard, despite his best efforts to slow them. Shock. Ami recognized it beneath the dread churning her mind.

"Ami... it feels like she's dead. There's nothing. I can't feel her. I can't find her."

She sucked in a breath. All was cold and still for a moment, then she was talking on her phone. "Family emergency," Mamoru heard vaguely, "Chiba-san... leaving immediately." He closed his eyes, plunging both hands into the earth, imploring... but there was nothing.

Ami shook him again. "Mamoru. You must transform. You're going into shock."

He opened his eyes, and the despair stabbed at her. "There's nowhere on Earth I can't find her, Ami."

Ami's face turned grim as she withdrew her henshin pen from her pocket. "Then perhaps she is not on Earth." She pulled Mamoru into a dark alley with surprising strength, and moments later, Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen were running towards Camille's.

XXX

**Thursday, Jan 15**

**Camille's, 9:20 pm**

Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn arrived to find the restaurant in chaos. The building was still dark, and the people were pouring out of the doors onto the porches where the city lights provided light.

The three Senshi and the two cats stopped running to survey the scene. "I don't see Usagi or Rei," Neptune noted.

"Or Mako," said Hotaru. She gripped the Silence Glaive with both hands, tension radiating from her.

"Fuck it, let's go in." Uranus unsheathed her sword. "It has to be whoever or whatever Setsuna saw. No time to lose."

Before Uranus could barrel in and terrify civilians, a familiar voice rang out inside the restaurant. An orange light accompanied it, pouring from every window and door. "Everyone remain calm and exit the building."

"That's Minako," Artemis said. "She beat us here."

The crowd parted with gasps and shouts for the Sailor Soldiers. Inside, Sailor Venus was glowing, her chain emitting gentle orange light.

"Venus!"

She met their eyes, dread clear on her face. She addressed Uranus. "I can't find any of them. I came straight here when the power surged, and I saw that strange light in the sky. It was chaos, and all I could do was try to clear the building. I didn't see Rei or Usagi or Mako in the crowd."

The restaurant was empty now. "Split up and search the place," Uranus ordered.

Not a minute passed before Saturn shouted, "Here! In the kitchen!"

All converged on the kitchen where Saturn was kneeling beside Makoto's body. A vicious head wound was seeping blood on the floor. A cast iron skillet lay next to her head.

"Quick, Saturn," Neptune urged. "We've no time to lose."

Sailor Saturn placed her hand above Makoto's head, concentrated. A soft purple glow overtook them both as Saturn healed her.

Before she finished, pounding footsteps sounded. Uranus turned towards the kitchen door with her sword drawn, slipping into a fighting stance.

"Who's out there?!" she shouted, and the ground shook.

"It's us!" came a feminine voice. "Stand down!"

Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen burst through the swinging door as Makoto's eyes opened. Sailor Uranus stepped back from the prince, stunned by the grief behind his mask.

"Oh, God, my head..." Makoto moaned. Then she recognized the warriors around her. "Shit, what happened?" She sat up, accepted Neptune's outstretched arm and pulled herself up, blinking away dizziness.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Neptune said. "Usagi and Rei are gone."

"_What?!"_

"Makoto, you need to transform first," Mercury interrupted. "It will help finish the healing, and you may remember more after that."

Makoto obeyed. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and Sailor Jupiter stood among them. "That's better," she grumbled. "Give me a minute," she said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple. The healing Sailor Saturn began proceeded much faster now.

Uranus's gaze hadn't left her prince's face; the grief and restrained panic there alarmed her. "Prince," she said. "What can you tell us?"

He heaved a sigh. "Minutes after the power surged, Ami and I ran outside. We saw the lights, and I touched the Earth, trying to find where the disturbance was coming from. It was close. When I first touched the earth, I felt Usagi. She was fine. I kept searching, and then-," he swallowed hard, "- she was gone. She was nowhere, and I felt nothing. Like she was dead."

The Senshi gasped.

"What about now?" Uranus pressed. If she were truly dead, he could not be calming discussing matters, no matter how disturbed he appeared.

"She is alive," he stated without relief. "I can feel her with the Golden Crystal. But she is far away, no longer on earth."

Neptune studied her mirror and frowned. "I cannot get a true fix on either Usagi or Rei. Something is interfering."

"I hope they are still together, at least," Venus muttered, fingering her chain absently.

The lights flickered back on in the kitchen. Jupiter gasped.

"I remember the lights going off. Everyone shouted, stuff fell, and I was trying to get out the door to check on Usagi. That's when I got hit." She closed her eyes. "I think I remember a gold figure...that's it. damn it."

"Well, let's get back to the control room," Artemis suggested. "Mercury and I should be able to get a lock on them there."

"People are going to come back in here," Jupiter muttered. "Let me write a note for Camille."

XXX

**Location Unknown**

**Time Unknown**

The first thing Rei felt was cold. She opened her eyes. She blinked. Blinked again. But the soft glow and ancient ruins glowing from miles away did not lie. She was on the moon.

Panic surged through her."Usagi." She got to her feet, tested everything. She seemed unharmed, but she'd been unconscious. Her heart slammed at her ribs. How did she get here, and _who _was here with her. _Where is Usagi?!_ She fumbled for her pen, sighed with haggard relief when she found it still in her pocket.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"

When the fire receded, she felt much better. She breathed easier, felt warmer. With a flash of flame, she summoned her bow, set a glowing arrow. There was silence around her. No more silence, she decided.

"USAGI!"

Nothing. She took off running towards the ruined palace.

**January 15, 10:09pm**

**Senshi Control Room**

"Electricity is regulating," Makoto noted, eyeing the power grid. "The city is getting back to normal at least."

"Swell," Haruka barked. "Any read on Usagi or Rei?"

Ami and Artemis typed away, both frowning at the displays. "I can't get a lock on either of them. Something is throwing off our systems," Ami observed. "It seems the recent disturbance was magnetic in nature, and the residual effects are throwing off the computer readings."

"Magnetism wouldn't affect my mirror," Michiru said, her elegant lips pursed into a pout. "Any ideas on that?"

"Whatever caused this magnetic disturbance is magical in origin," Ami guessed. "Or whoever."

The energy in the room, urgent yet calm, emanated from and centered around Mamoru. His panic had subsided with the assurance that Usagi was alive. Now he stood near the back of the room, worrying his wedding band, eyes shut in concentration. Like a pair of sentries, Haruka and Hotaru remained at his side while the others fussed with the monitors.

"Can you feel her, Prince?" Hotaru asked.

He did not open his eyes. "Yes. She has not transformed. I can't decide if that is better or worse."

"She does not feel threatened, at least," Haruka ventured. "She would henshin otherwise."

"Else she does not have the Crystal," Mamoru said. "But... I don't think that has happened. The few times she's ever had it out of her possession, she was - panicked. I do not sense any fear from her. If anything, she is feeling powerful...yet...nostalgic. Curious."

"Curious?" Haruka repeated blankly. "Nostalgic?"

Hotaru's eyes lit. "Ami!" she called. The crowd turned back to regard her. "Michiru-mama. Look to the moon. Perhaps she is there."

Intrigued by the idea, Ami and Michiru resumed their separate searches.

Before anything new could be discovered, there was a flash of eerie mauve and green light, and Sailor Pluto stood before them. She met Mamoru's eyes, and the agony there mirrored what she felt in her heart.

"There was a disturbance on Charon," she reported. "I fear I know who is behind this."

_**Mare Serenitatis**_

**Time Unknown**

Before Usagi opened her eyes, she knew. The cold did not touch her, nor did the eerie quiet. She noticed only the hum of power within her, the likes of which she had not felt since she'd last walked the surface of the moon, years ago.

Of course she knew she _should _be alarmed. _Who had brought her here and why? Where was Rei? What had happened on Earth?_ But she opened her eyes, and she could not be anxious.

"_Mare Serenitatis_," she murmured, recognizing her surroundings. She got to her feet, gazing around the dark, beautiful plains where her Kingdom had flourished long ago. She turned, and as she knew it would be, the Moon Castle stood in its ruined glory a long ways off, but the white stone caught the sunlight and gave off a soft glow.

Nostalgia overtook her for a moment, and despite the urgency she knew she should sense, she closed her eyes and basked for a moment, longing for her mother.

"I miss her too, Serenity."

Slowly, Usagi turned towards the deep voice behind her, her right hand closing over her henshin brooch. The voice was unfamiliar, and yet the accent, the rhythm, the timbre seemed to echo in her memory.

She faced the figure, a tall man with silver hair, golden eyes, clad in ancient armour, reminiscent of Endymion's, but his was colored in browns and golds. His cape draped black over his shoulders but glowed gold behind him. In the man's face, Usagi recognized her family features. Despite the gold of his eyes, the shape and placement mirrored her own, and the shade of his hair was the same as her mother's.

"Who are you?" she asked. She dropped her gaze to his hands, clasped in front of him. She eyed the hilt of his sword, then looked back into the eerily familiar eyes. "Who is my mother to you?"

He stepped closer to her. She stepped back. "You do not ask how I know your name, I see," the man said.

"Many know my name," Usagi answered simply, waiting.

The answer pleased him. He nodded, lips quirking. "I am Hekatos," he said. "Selene was my twin sister."

In her heart, Usagi could not deny it. Her own eyes confirmed his story. In the moment of silence after his confession, she gazed deep into his eyes, searching. She found ancient pain in them, and betrayal. Her confused heart yearned to trust him, burned with curiosity.

"What do you want from me, Hekatos?"

His clasped hands moved to hover over his heart. "I need your help."

XXX

**Thursday, January 15**

**Control Room, 10:20**

"He was banished," Sailor Pluto said, "to an ice volcano on the surface of Charon. I saw it erupt, and he escaped." Her brows knit together in frustration. "My memories are unclear, and I did not have the time to look deeply before I came here. I know not what he did to be banished, but Selene did not allow his name to be spoken because of the pain it caused her."

"Usako's uncle," Mamoru murmured. "Would he harm her?"

Sailor Pluto met his gaze only for a moment. "I know not," she said to floor. "I have no memories of Hekatos; I know only the little I saw before I came to you. I am sorry, Prince."

Though her shame was great, and for much more than her lack of details, he waved it away. "You have done what you could do, thank you, Setsuna. Luna? Artemis?"

It is an interesting thing to see a cat frown. "I do not remember him," said Artemis. "Certainly it makes sense that he might seek her out. She would be his only living family." But Luna's blank expression and piercing red eyes filled with turmoil.

"Luna?" Mamoru prodded urgently.

"I only remember that Selene had a twin brother who was gone, for I was born only shortly before Princess Serenity. I was so young, and his name was stricken from the records. But the Queen did mention him to me once, when Serenity was a child." Luna swallowed hard, her small body quivering with anxiety.

"Serenity was sleeping in her cradle while the Queen watched her one evening. All she said was, 'Luna, my dear Serenity looks so much like my brother, but she has her father's yellow hair. She must never know about them.'"

A stunned silence followed her words.

"Her father?" Mamoru repeated, stunned. "No one ever spoke of him, never. There was only ever the Queen of the Moon, even on Earth when I was a child, no one ever talked about a King. I never even thought to wonder who Usako's father was since she looked so much like Selene. On Earth, myth revolved around the Queen and Princess; some wondered if Serenity had burst from Selene's head like the children of Zeus."

"The King's name was also stricken from the books and must never be spoken, by Selene's order, for it broke her heart to hear it," Luna said softly, glancing at Pluto.

"Surely there is a connection between them, between the pain," Michiru mused, still gazing into her mirror, searching aimlessly.

"Even if there is a connection," Makoto challenged, "who the hell cares?!"

Haruka punched a fist into her palm. "Right. Now that Setsuna is here, we should be able to teleport to the moon. We've wasted too much time."

"We don't know for sure that's where they are," Ami cautioned. "We're going in blind."

"Won't be the first time," Minako said. "Besides, we have Mamoru and the Golden Crystal. In teleport, we follow that, the pull between it and the Silver Crystal, the love between the Prince and Princess. There is none stronger." She smiled wryly. "I would know."

"We will be in contact with Ami," Artemis said, "in case the computers stabilize and we can help in any-"

Mamoru's quick intake of breath startled Artemis into silence. Every face turned to the Prince. He transformed into Tuxedo Kamen before their eyes.

"We must go now," he commanded. "Usako transformed."

Despite everything, Hotaru smiled beatifically. As transformation cries sounded around her, the young soldier of revolution closed her eyes, basking.

"At last," she breathed. "Sailor Moon has returned."

_**To be continued...**_


	5. Questions

**Luminescence **

_ Did anyone else ever wonder about Princess Serenity's father, or the history before Queen Selene? (I'm sticking with Selene for differentiation sake.) Obviously, so much of Sailor Moon, the manga and the show, was the celebration of the feminine strength. Endymion is cast in the helper role or even damsel in distress role often, and Serenity is always the most powerful. So of course Queen Selene reigned alone because girl power! But what if it wasn't that simple? What might we find?_

Chapter 4: Questions

**Mare Serenitatis**

**Time Unknown**

"I don't know you," Usagi said, still holding on to her brooch. Every nerve in her body hummed with the moon's power, and her mind whirled as she watched the man claiming to be her uncle. She could not feel fear, not with the power within her. Still, she kept her distance, curious.

"You look so much like her," he continued, longing leaking into his voice. "Your face is almost a copy of hers. Beautiful..." he murmured. "And you wear your hair in the royal way, as she did. Oh, Selene." Hekatos blinked a couple times, focusing on USagi again. "But your coloring... blonde hair... blue eyes...just like his." He frowned.

"Who?" Of course, she knew. Questions burned in her chest.

"I can answer your questions, Serenity, but I need your help." He eyed her brooch, which she had gripped since hearing his voice. "I know who you are. You are Sailor Moon, greater than your mother ever was. The stars whispered your name as I passed them. They say you have the Stone." Pleading filled his eyes. "Your mother was a loving soul; you must be too. I crossed this system to find you as soon as I was free. Only you can heal me."

Usagi closed her eyes, fighting the turmoil in her heart. Questions swirled in her gut. _Who was my father? Who is this Hekatos, claiming to be my uncle? Why did my mother never tell me of them? What does he want? Can I trust him? __**Where is Rei?**_

In the end, Usagi's nature wins out; she cannot resist a soul in torment. The only only question she deemed more important than how she could heal him was the final one. Whatever happened to Rei might help her decide whether or not to trust him.

"Before I consider helping you- where is my friend? I assume you brought us both here."

He smiled, triumph in his eyes. "Dearest Serenity, I pulled you to the moon, yes, but I did not bring your friend. You did. You held on and brought her with you. She is unharmed, somewhere on the moon with us. I did not realize how deeply connected you were to her, but it makes sense. She is your Fire warrior, is she not? The fire in her calls to you, as the fire in you calls to her."

The Hikawa Shrine's Great Fire danced in Usagi's mind's eye. "I have no fire," she said.

Hekatos stood taller, squared his shoulders. Pride marked the lines of his posture. He smiled.

"Of course you do, Serenity, for I am Hekatos, your uncle, and I am god of the sun. You are my sister's child, my only heir."

He looked away, towards Pluto, sadness twisting his features. "I have no children of my own. Since before your first birth, I have been trapped on Charon, frozen inside an ice volcano on Pluto's moon, far from the light and warmth of the sun. So many years have passed, Serenity. My fire is gone, my connection severed. I am reduced to a sunspot, no more than a dark, magnetic storm. Help me, sweet niece. I beg you. And I will answer all your questions."

Usagi regarded him in silence for a long moment. How she longed for Mamoru, for Rei, for the counsel of her friends! Yet the raw grief in his eyes, at least, was real. And he was family, her only living family.

"I will try to heal you. But please," she cautioned, "do not make me regret it."

She removed the brooch from her blouse, gripping it tightly. Watching him.

"I will not move," he said.

She nodded.

"**Moon Eternal, Makeup!" **

XXX

**Moon Palace Ruins**

**Time Unknown**

"There!" Sailor Mars cried. She felt it the instant Sailor Moon transformed, felt the change in a way that she'd never been able to feel. She automatically turned in the direction that called to her, abandoning her search of the palace.

_No fucking clue what's going on, but I'm coming Usagi! _

Mars burst through the east door, which would have led into the gardens of moon blossoms long ago, now stark and gray. "Usagi!" she shouted. She could see the light of the transformation, felt the ripple of power humming across the moon's surface, but still she was far away. Gripping her bow in one hand, she ran off towards the glow.

XXX

**Moon Surface**

**Time Unknown**

The teleportation faded, leaving seven of the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen standing in a circle in the Great Hall of the Moon Castle. Uranus's sword sang as she jerked it from it sheath.

"She's not here," Tuxedo Kamen said immediately, looking around. His knuckles shone white as the gripped his cane like a staff.

Ami glanced at her computer, typed in a few things. "Something was interfering with the teleport-"

"Or someone!" Makoto interjected.

"Almost like it was repelling us. We could not get physically close so the teleport dropped us here." She sucked quick breath, pointed. "Quick, Sailor Mars is close, moving fast in that direction."

"On it!" Sailor Uranus took off at a dead sprint. Tuxedo Kamen followed, shouting over his shoulder.

"Sailor Moon is this way too!"

The other Senshi ran after them, but all were quickly outpaced by the Soldier of the Winds and a Prince in love.

XXX

When the lights of transformation faded, Sailor Moon stood straight, gripping the Eternal Tiare with both hands in front of her defensively.

Hekatos took a step toward her, almost against his will. "You are so beautiful, Serenity. I can feel how powerful you are. The fire of your ancestors burns within you." He blinked, seeming to wake up. "You still do not trust me."

"I do not know you," she replied, eyes narrowed. "But I can see your pain is real."

The power of the crystal seemed to shimmer in her with each heartbeat, flowing from the moon beneath her, through her body, into the Tiare. Joy flared in her heart when the connection to Mamoru and her senshi sharpened. They were here, coming for her. She could feel their anxiety for her, but her sense of utter well being and power turned any fear she might have felt into caution, into curiosity.

"You are wise to see my power," she cautioned. "I want to try to help you. I want answers to my questions. But I will protect myself. I am strong here."

He smiled, and there is something unpleasant in it. "I know. That is why I brought you here. I will not harm you, Serenity; as I said, only you can help me. You are the only other descendant of the sun. And only I can answer your questions. Please try, dear niece. I will answer your questions regardless of the results."

Sailor Moon nodded, satisfied. The loneliness in his eyes, the hope and pain warring there called to her compassion. She called to the wealth of power humming in her, pulled it from the Moon, from the Crystal, focused it into the Tiare.

_Fire, _Hekatos had said. She pondered it as her power welled. It felt right, but foreign. Her power was not fire, it was healing; it was love and light and energy and well-being. The light of the moon was cool and gentle; it did not burn like Mars' flames, nor did it warm and snap like Venus' light. Yet, there was wildness in her power, chaos which she tamed.

She considered the sun, focused her mind on it while her eyes focused on the man in front of her. Then, she unleashed.

XXX

"Mars!" Uranus shouted. Wind rumbled under her feet, and she was quickly gaining on the red figure, enough to make out the pale of her legs and the flying black hair. She caught sight of Tuxedo Kamen, coming in and out of her peripheral vision. Even in the back of her head, Uranus was impressed with his speed.

"Mars!" she shouted again. This time, Sailor Mars stopped, whipped her head around, and quickly, Uranus overtook her and slid to a stop beside her. Tuxedo Kamen did not stop, ran right past them both.

"Shit," Uranus muttered, glancing back at the other Senshi on their heels and then at Tuxedo Kamen getting smaller in the distance. "Okay, run and talk, dammit. What happened?!"

As they ran, Sailor Mars explained in between labored breaths. "When the power went out, Usagi had just reached across the table to hold my hand, then the lights went out. I sensed a presence near us, and then I felt Usagi being pulled away from me. I tried to hold on, but I lost grip of her hand. Yet, wherever she was pulled, I was pulled too. I felt like we were flying through the air, and then, everything went back. When I woke up, I was here, and Usagi was nowhere to be found. I searched the palace ruins for a while, but when I felt her transform, I followed her."

Uranus nodded, eyes dark. "Mamoru sensed her transform too. The man who pulled you both here, his name is Hekatos; Pluto thinks he is Usagi's uncle, the Queen's twin brother. We are not sure what he wants with the Princess."

Mars' eyes widened, but there was no time to explain further. Up ahead, Tuxedo Kamen stood, frozen in place, watching Eternal Sailor Moon cast an enormous amount of power at a still golden figure. Uranus and Mars flanked the Prince, and the other Senshi formed a semicircle beside them as the caught up.

"We can't get any closer," Tuxedo Kamen bit out, fury clouding his gaze. "Watch." He threw a rose; with a spark, it bounced off an invisible barrier. He scowled at the barrier.

"Hekatos is repelling us," Mercury said, studying her computer screen. "On purpose."

"Damn it," Jupiter said. "Should we try to break through?" Electricity crackled in her fingers.

Tuxedo Kamen shook his head. "Do not distract her now. She is combing depths of power she has never touched." Despite the command, his voice throbbed with emotion.

"Great goddess," Neptune murmured. "What is she doing?"

"She is attempting to heal him," Tuxedo Kamen answered, his gaze riveted to Sailor Moon's face. "I can almost hear her thoughts; she is so strong here." The light exploding from the Eternal Tiare cast strange light and shadows across the prince's face, his mask long lost. "She does not feel threatened, but she does not entirely trust him either."

"Hekatos used to be heir to the sun," Sailor Pluto said. She squeezed her eyes shut, gripping her Garnet Rod until her knuckles gleamed. "I can't remember... exactly..._kuso!" _she swore, jamming her staff into the surface of the moon in her frustration.

Sailor Venus fingered the chain slung around her hips, studying the shrouded figure anxiously. What she senses makes her stomach roil. "Endymion... I think you should know-" she stopped suddenly, gasping.

At that moment, everyone froze. The power and light pouring from the Eternal Tiare faded. Sailor Moon's legs trembled, but she lowered the Tiare to the ground, leaned on it like a staff, breathing heavily. Tuxedo Kamen watched her carefully, amazed at her composure and strength. Five years ago, she would have collapsed after such exertion, and yet today, she had touched power she'd never reached before.

Sailor Moon did not glance their way. "Hekatos," she said. Her clear voice echoed across the lunar plain. "What has been done to you, I cannot undo. I am sorry."

Hekatos raked a hand through his silver hair, frowning. "You are so strong here, Serenity. I can feel it; so can you. I thought that would be enough."

His eyes, unlike Sailor Moon's, darted towards Tuxedo Kamen and his company. He locked eyes with Tuxedo Kamen for an instant. So much passes between them before Hekatos focuses on Sailor Moon again.

Sailor Moon did not miss the exchange. For the first time, she acknowledged her lover and friends with a quick wink.

"Serenity," Hekatos said, loud enough to benefit their new audience. "I can see now that despite your incredible strength, you are not in full control of all that you possess. There is fire in you, Serenity, just as there was fire in your father, and fire in me, your uncle. You must access it, and that Crystal is the key."

There is a hum in the air, and he begins to fade away.

"Wait!" Sailor Moon cried. "You promised to answer my questions."

His smile was kind, yet hard. "I will. I will find you."

With that, Hekatos vanished, and with him, the invisible barrier faded away.

"Usako!"

Overcome with the need to touch her, hold her, Tuxedo Kamen ran forward. She smiled beatifically, opened her arms. The moment his fingers came into contact with her waist, she burst into light, obscuring them both.

"What the hell?!" Sailor Uranus grabbed Neptune, shielding her own eyes with her arm. "Mercury," she barked.

"I don't know!" Mercury shouted back. "The Golden Crystal triggered something! Some evolution!"

When the light faded, Sailor Moon and Prince Endymion stood embracing. Endymion looked stricken, but Sailor Moon's eyes were closed in bliss, a soft smile on her face.

Venus gasped. "Look!" she whispered, pointing.

"Usako," Endymion whispered. "You have wings."

She blinked. "Of course I do."

He shook his head. "They're real." He reached out, touched the top of one. She froze, inhaling sharply as he traced it back down to her shoulder. Her colors changed too. The pink and blue were gone, replaced by shades of silver and gold.

Amazed, she flexed them, spreading them wide. She flapped them once, propelling herself in the air slightly. Her mouth dropped open. She relaxed, and they folded behind her, like an angel at rest.

"Amazing," Mars whispered.

"It seems like the massive power you summoned just now, combined with the touch of Golden Crystal from the Prince triggered a bit of an evolution in you, Sailor Moon," Mercury supplied. Pluto nodded, gazing over Mercury's shoulder at the small screen.

"The colors mimic Sailor Cosmos," Pluto noticed quietly.

The princess shook her head though, serene as her name. "Eternal Sailor Moon I remain," she said. "But yes... things are not quite the same."

Unsettled, Endymion wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close.

XXX

**Friday, January 16**

**1:03 AM, Hikawa Shrine**

In a sitting room at the temple, the collection of warriors made themselves comfortable. Rei provided tea and coffee, but adrenaline was still running high. The warm cups gave comfort to unsteady hands. Mamoru declined any refreshment; he need to touch Usagi constantly to quell his still roiling anxiety, and so settled with one arm about her shoulders and the other grasping one of her hands as she retold her encounter with Hekatos.

Haruka, as Rei's only confidant in that frantic sprint across the moon, recognized the details of the capture. Usagi's account gave them more shivers, as she was the true target, and Rei was drawn along due to the strength of their connection. Even when Rei lost grip of Usagi's hand, Usagi had not relinquished her hold on Rei. For this she was sheepish, and offered an apology.

"Apologize!" Rei exclaimed, eyes glinting. "Of all the ridiculous... Usagi, you didn't do it on purpose, but even then I wouldn't care if you had. You didn't end up needing my help, but if the others hadn't come when they did, at least you would not have been alone. I was already sprinting your way. I sensed you transform." She looked bemused at this detail, but continued on. "If I had been alone, you can bet things would have unfolded differently. I would have immediately tried to burn my way through to your side." Haruka and Makoto echoed these sentiments. "As it was, Mamoru warned us not to distract you."

Usagi smiled again. "In that case, I will be glad you were with me, Rei." She leaned into Mamoru slightly. "Mamo-chan was right to caution you. I was summoning more power than I'd ever touched before. I felt when you guys landed on the moon because of Mamo-chan, mostly, but I didn't realize you'd joined me until I'd let the power go. I felt so strong on the moon; I never even feared Hekatos. Still it wasn't enough to heal him." Her expression turned troubled, and her grip tightened on Mamoru's hand. "I wish he had stayed to answer my questions."

"That he did not may prove that we cannot trust him," Mamoru murmured darkly, echoed by Haruka's _harumph_. "I never heard anyone speak of Queen Selene having a brother."

There was shuffling on the side of the room as the soldier of time stood, paced to a window to survey the night. "He is what he says," Setsuna said to the window pane. "My memories are not clear, Princess, Prince..." Deep regret infused her tone. "...yet I remember legend of him, as does Luna. Shortly before you were born, Usagi, he was banished, his name stricken from the records."

"By whom?" Usagi asked. Her voice was barely a whisper, her wide-eyed gaze settled on Setsuna's back.

Setsuna turned to face her, studiously avoiding Mamoru's gaze. "Your mother," she said.

Usagi gasped.

"But why?" A picture of Shingo's face appeared in Usagi's mind, and her heart bloomed with indignation. "Why would my mother banish her own brother and seal him on Charon for these thousands of years?"

Agony twisted Setsuna's elegant features. "I know not," she said. "I will return to the gate; I will look into the past."

Mamoru approved, even opened his mouth to affirm her offer with a command of his own, but Usagi spoke first. "Wait a day or two, Setsuna. You have only just returned. I...I have missed you."

Mamoru, though miffed that she'd beaten him to the punch, saw Setsuna's face twist further with dismay at Usagi's quiet admission. His eyebrows shot into his hairline. He was not the only one; Minako studied Setsuna closely, watching the emotions play out on her face, and Hotaru offered quiet support, linking her arm through Setsuna's and leaning close.

"Besides, he did not attack me, or even threaten to. You must rest. We have time." Usagi missed Setsuna's expression, having turned to regard Luna, who perched on the arm of the sofa beside her. The black cat was exchanging some kind of significant glance with Artemis before Usagi's address startled her.

"Luna...did you know my father?"

Silence spread through the room, thick and heavy. Luna sighed haggardly. "No," she said. "I never met him. He was gone before I was born. Your mother only spoke of him once to me, and all she said was that you must never know about either him or your uncle. She said you had your uncle's eyes but your father's yellow hair."

Usagi frowned. "I should return to the moon tomorrow, see if I can summon my mother. I know her spirit still resides in the ruins of the palace." Eight different mouths opened to protest, but she continued. "Or soon, if not tomorrow, she allowed. And not alone." She smiled, indulging her overprotective loved ones.

"He did say he would find you," Haruka warned. "This is only beginning. You should try not to go anywhere alone, not before we know more about what he wants."

Usagi shrugged. "He said he wanted to be healed, that he wanted his connection to the sun restored. I did try to heal him, but I could not restore that connection. He thinks there is some kind of fire in the crystal I have not yet learned to control."

"It would explain your connection to Rei, like he said," Ami offered. "The two of you have always been intuned in a unique way."

"And the Great Fire does dance for you, Usagi," Rei said. "There could be something to what he is saying. If he is truly your uncle then you inherited blood from the sun as well."

"He said my father possessed fire as well," Usagi said. "But who was he?"

Mamoru pulled her close and whispered assurances in her ear automatically, his eyes on the crackling of the fireplace, questions in his heart.

"Usagi, these are questions we cannot answer tonight," Michiru soothed. "But we will. We will all help you." She brandished her mirror. "I will keep an eye out for our friend for a while. Now that I have seen him, he will be easier to find."

"Hai," Haruka agreed, and her grin turned wicked. "And I find that I have some spare time these days, so I think I'd be delighted to drive you to school for a while whenever Mamoru can't."

Mamoru snorted back a laugh. While Haruka was probably the first person he would trust Usagi with in his absence, he was less eager to trust her driving.

"Yeah, well, none of us should be alone if we can manage it," insisted Makoto. "I was in a public place tonight, and somehow, I got beaned with a cast iron skillet."

The mood sobered. "You said you remembered a golden figure, Mako," Ami said. "We know now that was probably Hekatos, unless there is some other new enemy skulking around wearing gold. Why would he knock you out?"

"He knew who I was," Makoto guessed instantly. "He already had Rei and Usagi to contend with if it came to confrontation, and he wanted me out of commission to even the odds."

"Well, that settles it," Haruka declared. "Everyone is wearing their communicators again starting today. All the time. That's final." No one was inclined to disagree with her.

At that moment, Hotaru reminded everyone of her presence with a deep yawn. Haruka laughed, reaching over to ruffle her daughter's ebony hair.

"Anything else to add, Hotaru?" Michiru teased.

Hotaru giggled. "You guys covered most everything." But then she sobered, looking at Usagi. "Princess," she said, in her solemn Soldier of Revolution voice, "You are still Eternal Sailor Moon, as you said. But you are more. You sprouted wings. Change is coming." She blinked rapidly, and teenage Hotaru was herself again. "That's... all I can say for now," she concluded sleepily.

"Change is coming," Usagi repeated. She squeezed Mamoru's hand, turned to look into his eyes. "Yes, so it seems."

XXX

_Next time... Usagi dreams of ghosts and learns to fly, Minako has some awkward conversations, Rei turns down a date, and everyone attempts to continue life as usual while waiting for Hekatos to appear again..._

_Thanks for reading! -rosa_


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